Automatic safety railroad-switch



F. PEIIRSALL, n. AUTOMAII() SAFEY' RAILROAD SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I4. 1918.

1,326,779. Patented Dee. 30,1919.

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@Non nu* Pated Dee. 30,1919.

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Belg/'a 712272 Ffm/valzer @Nutmeg UNITED sTnTEs PATENT oEEioE.

BENJAMIN F. PEARSALL, JR., OF WALLACE, NORTH CAROLINA.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY RAILROAD-SWITCH.

Application filed March 14, 1918.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. PEAR- saLL, J r., a citizen of theUnitedStates, residing at Wallace, in the county of Duplin and State ofNorth Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Safety Railroad- Switches, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway switches and it is theprincipal 0bject of the invention to provide a novel form of automaticsafety. switch which will serve to prevent the accidental or undueopening thereof and as a consequence, prevent trains from entering asiding by way of an open switch and the resultant wrecking of the same.

Another and equally important object of the invention is to provide theswitch with a form of automatic lock adapted to be engaged by the wheelsof the rolling stock passing thereover whereby the same will be operatedto lock the switch in an open position to allow a train to enter asiding and which when disengaged from the wheels will instantly move toits closed or normal position, thus, automatically closing the switch inorder that the following trains will proceed on the main track.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed outhereinafter.

The invention consists, furthermore, of theI novel arrangements andcombinations of the parts of the switch, as well as in the details ofthe construction of the same, all of which will be more fully describedin the following specification and then finally embodied in the clausesof the claim which are appended to this specification and which form anessential part of the same.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan of the improved automatic safety switch,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical trans` verse section therethrough,

Fig. 3 is a vertical fragmentary section through the switch stand,

F ig. 1 is a horizontal section therethrough, and

'Fig 5 is a fragmentary detail partly in section showing the engagementof the auto` matic locking means.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, in connection withwhich like reference characters will designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

Serial N o. 222,363.

l represents the usual type of switch in its entirety, the same, ofcourse communicating with a main track 2 and side track 3 and includingthe usual pivotal points, which are interconnected by means of a switchthrowing`4 bar 4C extending laterally to a point beyond the main track 2whereat the same is connected with suitable operating means, hereinaftermore rfully described. As will be noted, the free end of the bar 4 isextended and formed with a plurality of tapered openings 5; a suitableform of guide 6 being arranged beneath the extended portion and servingto slidably support the same. n

Arranged in proximity to a portion of one side of the main track and aportion of one side of the siding track is anv auxiliary rail 7, thesame being formed of angle iron and curved to permit the properpositioning thereofr with relation to the adjacent sides of the main andside tracks. Secured 'to the inner side of the auxiliary rail is avertically disposed bolt 8 having a tapered pin 9 formed on its lowerend and projecting for a distance below the adjacent marginal portion ofsaid auxiliary rail, in order that the same may be engaged in either ofthe tapered openings 5 formed in the extended free end of the switchthrowing bar 11.

A plurality of right angularly disposed arms 10 having bearing yopeningsformed in their outer ends are engaged with the auxiliary rail 7 atsuitable intervals throughout its length and are fixedly mounted onsquared shafts l1 and 12, portions of which are rounded and rotatablymounted in bearings generally indicated by the numeral 13 supported oncertain of the ties.

As means for normally maintaining the upper portion of the auxiliaryrail 7 at a point slightly above the upper surface of the railscomposing the side and main tracks, expansible coil springs 14 areseated in a suitable manner on portions of the ties and have their upperends engaged with the under side of the auxiliary rail 7 Hence, it willbe understood that the upper portions of the guard rail 7 will benormally maintained slightly above the tread surface of the track rails.

The switch throwing bar 4 is also engaged by one end of a coil spring15, the remain- 4 will be normally maintained in proper position and asa consequence, the switch will be normally maintained in closedposition.

As is usual in switch constructions, operating means are providedwhereby the switch throwing bar 4 can be shifted and to this end,certain of the ties are extended and have secured thereto a switch stand17 formed with vertically alined bearing openings through whichoperating shafts 18 and 18 are passed, the upper end of said shaft 18being extended and provided with the usual form of signal target. A disklike plate 19 is keyed to the intermediate portion of the shaft 18 andis formed with an opening adapted to receive the slidable latch member20 therein at times, said latch meniber being` formed with a lateralprojection 21 adapted to be engaged, at times, by a key inserted througha suitable opening formed in one side of the stand by a switchman. Thelower end of the shaft 18 is extended through the bottom thereof andprovided with an enlargement 22 carrying an eccentric pin 23 `with whichone end of a connecting link 24 is engaged, said connecting link, inturn, being pivotally connected to the adj an cent end of the bar 4 asat 25. To permit access to the interior of the stand 17, a portion ofone side thereof is open and is provided with a removable closure plate26, said plate of course being secured in position by means of bolts orother similar fastening devices. To cause the operating shaft 18 to beretained in normal position, a coil spring 27 is arranged about thelower portion thereof and has one end of the same con, nected to saidshaft while the remaining end is engaged with the adjacent portion ofthe stand. Hence, upon rotation of the shaft the spring will be placedunder suficient tension to cause counter-rotation of the same toitsnormal position when released.

In this connection, it `is to be noted that the operating shaft 18 atthe upper end thereof carries a large gear 27', while the shaft 18carries a small gear 28 which meshes with the gear 27. Hence, thetransmission of motion from the shaft 18 to the shaft 18 will be reducedand as a consequence, the signal target carried thereby will be;partially turned to permit displaying thereof. An operating handle Q9 isengaged with the shaft 18 and projects through a horizontal slot formedin one wall of the stand 17.

In operation, should it be desired to enter a train onto the side track,the shaft 18 is released by disengaging the locking pin 20 from the disk19 whereupon the same is then "rotatedby meansof a handle 29 tc causeshifting of the switch' points to the proper position. As the frontwheels of the rolling Stockengage theadjacent end of the auxrollingstock disengage from the oppositeV end of the auxiliary, the spring 14will then serve to return the same to its uppermost or normal position,thus disengaging thelocking` pin 9 fromthe opening in the lfree end ofthe switch bar 4, which bar due to its connection with the spring 15 andthe spring; 27 arranged in the switch shaft 17 will then be caused toinstantly be returned to its normal or closed position, thus closing theswitchthrough the main track and causing following trains to proceedover this track.

Frein the foregoing, it will be readily understood by those skilledinrtheaart that I have provided an exceedingly eflicient automaticsafety switch, which, by reason of its arrangement and construction willserve to prevent accidents and the like caused by open switches.Further, the opening of the switch by unauthorized persons will beprevented, since the same would immediately return to its normalposition when released, except when the auxiliary rail had been engagedby the wheels of the rolling stock passing thereover.

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerable.modication`and such modification as is within the scope of my claims, I considerwithin the spirit vof my invention.

I thereby claim:

1. In combination with a Vrailroad switch, a switch throwing barconnected to the point thereof, switch throwing means connected `tosaidbar, spring means engaged with the bar for normally maintaining theswitch in closed position, the free end of said -switch throwing barbeing extended and formed with a plurality of openings, an auxiliaryrail movably mounted adjacent the switch, a lockingl pin carried by said`auxiliary rail engageable in the openings formed in the switch throwingbar, and spring means engaged with the auxiliary rail for normallymaintaining the same in its uppermost position.

2. In combination with a railroad switch andv switc-hthrowing means, aswitch throwing bar connected to the point of the switch and to saidthrowing means, means for normally maintaininglthe bar in one position,the free end of the throwingbar being extended for a distance `beyondthe adjacent rail and formed witha pluralityof openings, a curvedauxiliary rail mounted gaged with the auxiliary rail for normally forVertical-movement adjacent that Side of maintaining the same ininoperative posi- 10 the switch in proximity to the extended end tionwith relation to the extended end of of tlie throwing bar, a verticallydisposed said switch throwing bar.

5 bolt carried by and extending beyond the In testimony whereof, I .aiixmy signalower marginal portion of said auxiliary ture hereto. railengageable, at times, in the openings formed in said throwing bar, andmeans en- BENJAMIN F. PEARSALL, JR.

